Throughout the ages, man has been fascinated by the quest for hidden knowledge, the search for the secret to transforming the elemental into the extraordinary, the simple into the sublime. Ladies and gentlemen, we present for your consideration this exotic, inky concoction, the almost magical creation of our modern day alchemists who have turned humble grains—barley, wheat, rye, and oats—into black, liquid gold. Layers of complex flavors slowly emerge from the glass: espresso, roasted fig, crème brulée. Belgian yeast provides a plum-like fruitiness, noble German hops reveal spicy, herbal notes, while the rich, velvety mouthfeel mellows to a dry, smoky finish.

12 oz. bottle, with best by date 08/27/2016 printed on the bottle. Finally getting around to reviewing this year-round stout offering from Boulevard. These guys generally impress me, so we'll see how this one fares.

Poured into a clear balloon snifter.

A - It pours a deep dark mahogany / ruby; opaque black in the glass with two big fluffy fingers of dense mocha foam that stays for a while and leaves behind some attractive fat lacing. Looks very nice.

S - A strange aroma. An overly prominent Belgian yeast presence with I suppose invokes notes of fruit, but comes off more bready to me. Dry chalky chocolate / cocoa, and some strong liquid smoke coming in on the finish. An alright aroma, but it doesn't exactly meld. Very mild alcohol fumes.

T - Taste follows the nose - roasty English malts, crisp earthy Belgian yeast, notes of chocolate, cocoa, and mild smokiness. Well-constructed, and unique in the realm of American stouts.

M - The feel is smooth & creamy. Medium-full bodied with good carbonation, and slight alcohol phenols / liquid smoke on the finish.

Overall, an interesting & unique take on the American imperial stout, although I'm not personally a huge fan at utilizing Belgian yeast strands in American stouts. Still, it drinks nicely, with big flavor, but not a stout I would actively seek out again.

Served from 12oz bottle to goblet. This is one fine beer. Yummy slightly cocoa-ish darkness, but crisp in the mouth, not syrupy - with a bracing stouty aftertaste. This could be an everyday stout if I lived in KC, excellent pleasing specimen.

Lots of ripe fruits in this, plum, raisins, pear, breadish malts, sweet toffee and a sharp espresso note, preventing the beer from being too sweet. Warm, coffeeish bitterness stays very long on the palate. Very smooth mouthfeel, more creamy than oily, great complexity. Fantastic balance, the beer goes from sweet to bitter to earthy, without letting one impression become too present. Even hints of smoke and alcohol, as the beer warms up, adding to the earthy, warm character.